Every QR code generator eventually asks the same question: static or dynamic? The answer decides whether you can change the code after printing, whether you can count scans, and what the code depends on to keep working.
Static QR codes
A static code stores its content directly in the pattern. That content can be a web address, but also a Wi-Fi login, a contact card, plain text, an email, a phone number or a text message.
- Works on its own. Phones read the content straight from the image. No service sits in between.
- Can’t be changed. To change the content, you print a new code.
- Can’t be counted. Because nothing sits in between, there is nothing to record a scan.
Dynamic QR codes
A dynamic code (Bikto calls them trackable) stores a short web address instead. When someone scans it, that address redirects them to the destination you set.
- Editable after printing. Change the destination and every printed copy follows.
- Countable. Each scan passes through the redirect, so you can see visits, locations and devices.
- Depends on the redirect. The code works for as long as the service keeps the redirect running.
Dynamic codes can only open web pages. A Wi-Fi login or a contact card is handled by the phone itself, so it can’t pass through a redirect.
When to choose static
- Wi-Fi logins, contact cards, phone numbers and other non-web content.
- A page whose address will not change, such as your homepage.
- When you don’t need to know how many people scanned it.
When to choose dynamic
- Menus, price lists or event pages that change over time.
- Large print runs, where reprinting would be expensive.
- Campaigns where you want to compare placements. Give each poster, flyer or package its own code and see which one brings visits.
A quick way to decide
Ask two questions: Will the destination ever change? and Do I want to know how many people scanned it? If the answer to both is no, print a static code. If either is yes, use a dynamic one, and check what happens to it if you ever stop paying for the service.
Making both with Bikto
Static codes are free on Bikto and need no account: make one for a website, Wi-Fi network or contact card. Trackable codes need a free account; the Free plan includes 5 new trackable codes a month, and existing codes keep working after you cancel a paid plan. See pricing for the limits on each plan.